Wednesday, November 18, 2015

A daylong schedule of keynote talks as well as
demonstrations from some of the region’s leading technology vendors brought an
array of local educators to the Nov. 2 Tech Summit 2015, sponsored by the Lower
Hudson Regional Information Center and held at Briarcliff’s Edith Macy
Conference Center.

The Summit’s keynote topics were selected to help educators
envision the future and to learn about successful programs that are “truly
transformative in nature,” explained LHRIC Executive Director Dennis Lauro, in
his introductory remarks.

“Students want to be in school, they wish to actively
participate as contributors and creators of their own learning,” added Dr.
Lauro, referring to the changes that are emerging in classrooms around the
nation.

Dr. Lauro noted, in particular, the RIC’s Emerging
Technologies Program, which was established over a year ago and is now in several
local school districts. The program, he said, is here to help area teachers
begin to make the change from a conventional classroom that uses technology to
today’s classrooms where technology is transformational and is changing the way
teachers teach and students learn.

The event also included several breakout sessions that
included an update from Dr. Lauro on the state’s Smart Schools Bond Act
technology purchasing requirements and the partnership opportunities the RIC
can procure through its trusted technology vendors.

Jim Sill, director of global development for EdTechTeam, Inc., kicked off the
stimulating day with a peak into the possibilities that video storytelling can
provide for teachers and students, including ways it can highlight social
issues.

Following a career as a TV and film producer, Mr. Sill
transitioned to education, using his industry experience to create an
award-winning video production program at a high school in Visalia, Ca., where
he remained for several years.

During his morning keynote presentation titled, “Hi-Def
EDU,” Mr. Sill introduced attendees to the kind of material he shares with
educators all across the world, including Google’s collaborative tools and the
social media and video production skills that are necessary to impact students’
education and their future careers.

“It’s all about stories that make an impact,” said Mr. Sill.
“The film business has been doing this for a long time.”

Mr. Sill suggested that all schools use the SAMR model, a
framework that is being implemented by educators to reflect on how technology can
be used to enhance learning. The model, he added, is part of the national
education curriculum in Australia, where Mr. Sill currently lives.

“You are the jumpers,” he said. “Throw the line over and make
the bridge so others can follow along; that is an important piece of this.”

He also encouraged educators to be “beginnerish” about such
video-based projects. “I know that’s hard for teachers because we are supposed
to know it all and be the smartest person in the room, but often I like to give
teachers permission to do that.”

Expanding the culture of passion and compassionate-driven
learning was the basis for Angela Maiers’ breakout session titled, “Liberating
Genius in the Classroom: Lessons for Launching Genius Hour.”

Believing there is a genius that lies within everyone, Ms. Maiers,
the founder of Choose2Matter,
passionately advocates for the kind of change she believes is necessary for the
education system and for producing the next crop of graduates.

Beginning with a TedX talk she delivered in 2011 titled,
“You Matter,” Ms. Maiers went on to create the Choose2Matter movement, a call
to action that invites people to make “mattering” a way of life.

“If I knew that what I did mattered, if I was believed in
and trusted, then I would run to school everyday,” said Ms. Maiers, the author
of six books, including her most recent free e-book called, “Liberating Genius
in the Classroom: The First 20 Days.”

In studying companies like Google and others that allow
their employees to devote a portion of their work day to creatively thinking
outside of the box. Ms. Maiers began to think about ways that schools could do something
similar.

“How about one hour a week?” she said, referring to the
initiative she created that is now known as “Genius Hour.”

“Would that be enough to change the thinking, to ensure that
every kid and teacher mattered?”

The Choose2Matter movement has now reached sixty thousand
classrooms in over 120 countries, where passion-driven work is the norm. Implementing
the “You Matter Manifesto,” participating schools are encouraging students to
accept their genius and to understand that mattering is a process, not an event
and that it is essential to our existence, she explained.

In her afternoon keynote, “Getting TECH Right,” Ms. Maiers
touched upon similar themes, noting that students who are passionate about the
world around them and how they can make it a better place can often do so by
the collaborative use of technology.

Forget the fancy tools that school districts often purchase,
she noted. Instead, said Ms. Maiers, students should be shifting from a model
of consumption to a model of contribution, sharing who they are, what they
believe in and what they can do.

“Technology doesn’t motivate kids,” she added. “They are
motivated by their ability to share, to collaborate, to make something
extraordinary.” Ms. Maiers said humans in general are deeply motivated when
they know they matter and are excited by what they can build together.

“Their future and their potential will be defined by what
they share,” she said, referring to the importance of one’s digital footprint.
“The difference is not technology; it’s the expectation.”